Joint for umbrella ribs and stretchers.



Patented m 3, 1900.

No. 653,I64.

J.A. BEDEL. JOINT FUR UMBRELLA RIBS AND STBETGHERS.

(Application filed Aug. 7, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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JOHN A. BEDEL, OF BELLEVILLElLLINOIS.

JOINT FOR UMBRELLA RIBSAND STRETCHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of ntt rgrat nt No. 653,164, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed August 7,1899- To all whom it may con/eerie.-

Beit known thatl, JOHN A. BEDEL, a citizen of the United States,lresiding at Belleville, in the county of St. Olairand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas; and I do hereby de 'clare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- brella or parasol frame constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one side of the socket which I employ in carrying out my invention. Fig. 3 is also a plan view of the socket, showing the opposite side of the same. Fig. 4 is the blankfrom which the socket is formed. Fig. 5 is a plan. view of the bearing which I employ for connecting the ribs and stretcher members, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the last- :named bearing is formed.

One object of my invention is to construct a simple, practical, and durable umbrella or parasol frame; and it consists inproviding the pivotal ends of the stretcher members and the'inner ends of the ribs of said frame of the umbrella or parasol with specificallyconstructed ball-bearing sockets, whereby the frame can be easily closed oropened with a minimum amount of friction.

A further and very important object of my invention is the durability of the frame that is one that cannot possiblyget out of order or the parts become separated through wear, as is a verycomnion annoyance and expense with umbrella or parasol frames of the usual construction-thercby materially prolonging the life of the umbrella or parasoll Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the umbrella or parasol rod, which is of the usual or well-known construction and to which my invention is readilyapplied, and secured to said rod ata suitable distance from the ferrule end of the same is a specially-construct Serial No. 726,432. (No model.)

ed socket, the construction of which will now be described.

The socket previously referred to consists, practically, of one piece of metal formed in the desired shape and provided with an opening 2, the flat metalon one side of the plate 3 being flanged "surrounding said. opening and secured in any suitable manner to the thi1nble 4, the latter being rigidly fixed to the rod 1 by a pin 5 orin any suitable manner. The plate thus formed and secured to the thimble i as described is suitably bent to form a continuous semicircular groove 6, which forms one wall of the socket, and forming an inte gral part of said plate and a continuation of said grooved portion are a series of radiallyarranged tapering tongues 7, which are bent in such a manner'as to form a complete annular socket surrounding thethimble 4:, the ends of said tongues being brought in contact with the latter, thereby forming spaces 8, arranged at regular intervals apart for receiving the ribs 9., within which the latter move, and secured to the innerends of said ribs are balls 10,which are sn ugly received by the socket thus formed.

The runner 11, whichiis movable upon the rod 'l,'is of any well-known construction and carries the usual locking device, (not shown,) and secured toand surrounding the same is asimilar socket or'notch'to that previously described but reversed in position, which socket is adapted to receive the balls 10, secured to or otherwise formed on the lower ends of the stretcher members 12, the opposite ends of said members being likewise provided with balls 13, which are received by specially-constructed bearings secu red to and carried by the ribs 9 at a suitable position along the length of. the same, the construction of which socket will now be described. The sockets or bearings last referred to are also formed of one piece of metal, the blank.

of which is shown in Fig. 6 of thedrawings and consists of a strip of metal lhhaving two semicircular extensions 15 projecting from one side of the same and arranged at a suitable distance from one another, the said. semicircular extensions being properly depressed to form two cup-shaped walls for receiving between them the balls 13, carried at the upper end of the members 12. The strip -ribs, the said bearings being located within the ribs and arranged in a longitudinal direetion with the same, whereby the strip 14c is held in its proper position and the bear the same is prevented from I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement otthe parts here in shown anddescribed, as the same may be slightly varied without departing from the nature of my invention, the principal object being to construct a ball-bearing for the spe cific purpose described which can be readily attached to the umbrella and form a perfect bearing, together with the balls carried by the Various members of the umbrella-frame.

It will readily be seen from the foregoing description that the parts comprising the frame can be readily and conveniently united, and when the tongues 7 of the plates 3 are bent into position to form the complete bearings the parts will be rigidly and permanently held together.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is- An umbrella-frame, comprising a suitable rod, a bearin g secured to the latter, suitable ribs, balls forming the ends of the said ribs, and adapted to be received by said bearing, bearings secured within the ribs in a longitudinal direction with the latter, and con.- sisting of a strip of metal bent transversely about its medial portion, semicircular cupshaped extensions projecting from each side of said strip, and located opposite one another, whereby a suitable space is left between said extension, and a ball carried by one end of the stretcher members, and adapted to be received between the cup-shaped extensions, said strip being secured to the rib with its bent portion thereof-pointing toward the free end of the same, whereby the bearing thusformed is prevented from spreading, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BEDEL, Witnesses:

ALFRED A. MATHEY, O. F. KELLER. 

